Synthesis of Anabaseine has been reported by Alberici et al (Tetrahedron Lett. 1983, 24, 1937-) by the addition of 3-pyridyl lithium to cyclopentanone followed by Schmidt reaction with hydrazoic acid; Mundy et al (Syn. Commun. 1972, 2, 197) by the rearrangement of 1-nicotinyl-2-piperidone induced by CaO; Spath et al (Chem. Ber. 1936, 69, 1082) through the benzoylation of 2-piperidone followed by reaction with nicotinamide and treatment with concentrated HCl; and Leete (J. Org. Chem 1979, 44, 165) by the Claisen reaction of 1-trimethylsilyl-2-piperidone with ethyl nicotinate using lithium diisopropyl amine (LDA) at -78.degree. C. followed by the acid hydrolysis of the product. Due to the instability of Anabaseine, the base form, the most stable dihydrochloride salt which bears the open chain form of Ib (depicted below), has been reported in the above literature.